Kero picked up his little sister, who was completely exhausted from the ordeal. "Well, for two weeks I guess I'm your personal slave. So what is your first command master?"

"You really don't have to be my slave, I almost killed you!"

"We made a deal, and I lost. So whether you like it or not, I'm your slave for a whole two weeks."

"Fine, as long as you don't grow a hunch and start following me saying 'Yesss Massster', Because then I would have to hurt you. Oh and by the way it's 'mistress', I'm a girl."

"You sure don't fight like one. By the way, what was with the blonde thing?"

"Oh.haha.um." Thong, or Nohara now, fidgeted nervously. "It's just a hereditary thing! Nothing to worry about! No more questions slave!" She smacked him upside the head.

"Ow! Sorry! Geez!" Kero said, rubbing his head.

"Sorry, it's just that I don't like talking about my past."

"Oh, that bad, huh? Well, mine wasn't very rosy either, neither is the present, and the future doesn't look to promising for my family."

"Well obviously life isn't pretty if you have to steal to survive. Here, let's go get some food for you and Nia."

"What about Mommy?" Nia asked as she squirmed in her brother's arms to look at Nohara. Kero set her down.

"All right, your mother too. Do you know what she likes to eat?"

"Um. She really likes sweets, me too."

"But she needs healthy food, and medicine. She's very sick, and we need to get back to her soon." Kero said very seriously.

"What's wrong with her?" Nohara asked.

"I don't know, we can't take her to a doctor, because we have no money, and father's. circumstance. doesn't really help things." Kero cast away his eyes when he saw Nohara's puzzled expression. "I'll tell you later."

"Sure, but right now let's get something to eat, I'm starving! How does an all you can eat buffet sound?"

The sibling's eyes brightened, but then they looked at their shabby clothes and dirty faces. "I don't really think we're acceptable," Kero said.

"Well I can fix that! Is there a pond or something near by?" Nohara inquired as she rummaged in her bag for soap and shampoo.

Kero nodded and she followed him to a small but relatively clean pond hidden in a grove of trees. The sun filtered through the foliage and made the water sparkle, birds sang melodically, and here and there were bursts of colour from different flowers. Nohara smiled at the tranquil beauty, and Nia giggled with glee.

"Isn't it pretty in here? It's mine and Kero's special place," she showed off the surroundings with pride. "Not very many people know about it, so I can play all I want and no one yells at me or looks at me funny. Right Kero?"

Her older brother smiled and nodded. Nohara helped Nia out of her clothes, so the little girl was just in her undergarments, but Kero just stood there looking uncomfortable.

"Well what are you waiting for? Are you going to take a bath or do I have to help you too?"

Kero blushed and took off his shirt, revealing well-developed muscles and a lean frame. Not too bad, thought Nohara.

Kero caught her looking at him, and blushed deeper. "A little privacy?"

Nohara rolled her eyes and turned her back on him. "Okay kiddo, are you going to get in the water?" Nia laughed and waded into the pond, splashing water everywhere. She squealed from the sudden cold, but soon she got used to the temperature. The cool water gave respite from the sweltering summer heat, and she sighed and sank in deeper.

Kero had just taken off his pants so he only had on boxer shorts when he noticed that Nohara was stripping as well. He turned a dark crimson and asked,"What are you doing?"

"Aren't I allowed to go for a swim? Besides, I'm not naked, I still have on my underwear. Haven't you ever seen a girl in a bikini?"

"Well yeah, but." Kero faltered awkwardly and looked away. How can she be so audacious? Had she no sense of shame at all? He heard her slip into the water with a quiet splash, but he hesitated.

"What's the matter? Hurry up!"

"I don't like the cold," he responded as he dipped his toe in. This was a lie, because normally he would love to jump in and let his body cool down. What is the matter with me? Before he could think for another second, Nohara rose out of the water and pulled him in with a loud splash. Shocked, he instantly broke the surface and spluttered. "Hey! What'd you do that for?"

"You took too damn long!" Nohara started to giggle childishly. "You look like a drowned rat!"

Kero shot her an evil glare and swam towards the opposite end, far away from the treacherous girl. She shrugged and grabbed the shampoo sitting on the edge of the water. She squirted some into her hand and lathered up Nia's medium-length brown hair. "Mmm! It smells like raspberries!" the little girl exclaimed.

"Careful, or you'll get it in your eyes." As Nohara continued to wash Nia's hair, she thought lovingly of her little brother, Ty. She used to give him baths all the time, and he would always make up an amusing adventure. She also remembered bathing with Bra when they were four and five, and how they would fight over the toys, and how her mother would always find a way to make them both satisfied. She quickly wiped away a tear and then washed her own hair as Nia scrubbed the dirt off herself with soap.

Nohara ducked under the water to rinse, and then sneakily swam toward Kero, still holding the bottle of raspberry shampoo. In one swift movement she put him in a headlock and poured shampoo into his hair.

"What the-? Hey-! Ow, you're breaking my neck! Ack my eyes! You got it in my eyes!"

"So stop squirming and shut up!" She dunked his head repeatedly in the water. Each time he went under he flailed his arms, and every time he came up he spluttered. Nohara laughed, and then took pity on him and let go.

He immediately scrambled up the bank and into a tree, dripping water everywhere. "Stay back devil woman!"

Nia pointed and giggled at her sopping brother. "Hee hee! You look like a sea-monkey!"

Nohara almost drowned from laughter, truly enjoying herself for the first time since she had run away.